How We Learn and Grow Together One Lesson at a Time

Sarah and Aaron Hess are just beginning their journey with Seton Home Study School and they are excited for so many reasons, not the least of which is learning and growing together as a family.

Why is homeschooling important to your family?

We really felt that educating our children was too important to leave to someone else. We are blessed with a great homeschool group locally and a lot of support so we were excited to begin last year when we enrolled Gabrielle in Pre-K.

What made you choose Seton Home Study School?

Friends who used Seton advised us that it was “the best of the best” and they were right. So far, it’s been a great experience. We may never have considered homeschooling had these veteran families not dug the trenches for us and encouraged us to go ahead and take the plunge with Seton.

How has Seton Home Study School benefited your family?

I personally have learned so much, especially about our Catholic faith, in the last two years. I love learning and the best way to do that is to teach. We were also able to attend a conference locally, and I was able to speak to Dr. Mary Kay Clark and have my picture taken with her. I was so pumped up after that!

What do you like most about Seton Home Study School?

The lesson plans. I find that I must stick to them as a new homeschooler because it gives me confidence that I can do this well. I also love having everything laid out and planned for me, so I know that nothing is getting missed and we are covering everything.

It also makes me so happy to see religion in every book, those beautiful pictures everywhere; it makes me so happy that our Catholic faith is part of everything we do.

I’m also grateful for the freedom that Seton and homeschooling allows us: time for bike riding, field trips, for Gabrielle to take care of the ducks. They really have time to just be children.

How do you bring your homeschooling day together?

We usually begin right after breakfast, at 9:00 am. We say the pledge and our prayers; the Morning Offering, Hail Mary and the Our Father as well as praying for our intentions.

We always begin our school day with religion. I follow that with handwriting, phonics, and math, all of which only takes about an hour. I add science one time a week and somehow, we manage to do art constantly!

My husband Aaron is our physical education teacher. We live on seven acres so there is plenty of space to walk and explore nature.We observe animal prints and all the plant life, and we often take our magnifying glass with us.

What is one piece of advice you would give to other homeschooling families?

Don’t be afraid! Talk to veteran homeschool moms and learn from their experiences. They have done all the hard work and are great resources for all kinds of ideas about homeschooling. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.

Take advantage of their knowledge and the hard work they’ve done. Another piece of advice I would give is Pray, Pray, Pray. Focus on what needs to be done in the moment and live in that moment.

We are on a pilgrimage to Heaven and we are getting there one day at a time, one lesson at a time together as a family. A dear friend of mine always signs her name “student for life.”

That is what we are, Seton students for life.